A Treatise On The Principles And Practice Of Dock Engineering

THE PORT OF GLASGOW. II gradually possessing itself of the river frontages, expanding and improving them on systematic lines. In 1870 the length of wharfage was 28 miles; in 1890 it had increased to 37 miles, and since that date it has been consider- ably augmented. The Port of Glasgow. Glasgow is a notable example of a port existing in the face of many natural disabilities. For a long period the Clyde, afflicted with the dual evils of shallowness and tortuousness, was little better than a ditch. Goods were despatched by pack-horses a distance of over 30 miles from Glasgow, to be shipped at the ports of Troon and Irvine, on the Ayrshire coast. At one time it was despaired of ever rendering the river navigable, and the inhabitants, in 1668, acquired a plot of land, some 13 acres in extent, near the village of Newark, about 18 miles distant, where they built a harbour and christened it Port-Glasgow. The colony thrived for a time. It even grew into importance. In 1710 it was the principal Custom House port on the Clyde. In 1762, it became the site of the first graving dock in Scotland, built under the direction of James Watt. In 1812, the famous “Cornet ”—the pioneer of steam naviga- tion in Europe—was built here. This vessel plied the river for passengers, and it is recorded that it sometimes took seven hours to accomplish the journey from Greenock to Glasgow—a distance of less than 20 miles. The zenith of Port-Glasgow's prosperity was, however, at length reached. The citizens of the parent city never abandoned their efforts to increase the navigability of the river, and by dint of perseverance they succeeded in effecting some improvement. Shipping was naturally attracted to the more important trade centre and the fortunes of Port-Glasgow declined. It is at the present time dependent upon its shipbuilding yards for its existence. In 1768, John Golborne, of Chester, reported to the Glasgow magistrates that by suitable works it might be possible to obtain a depth of 4, or even 5, feet as far as the town. He was considered over-sanguine by some, but he more than fulfilled his word, the depth actually obtained being 7 feet. In 1799, John Kennie, of London, advocated a system of low rubble training walls, and these were carried out with such success that the navigable depth in 1806 had been increased to 81 feet on spring tides; but im- provement for some time thereafter was slow. Up to 1836 the depth in the harbour had only been increased to 7 or 8 feet at low water, making 12 feet at higli water of neap tides, and 15 feet at high water of spring tides. In 1824, an impetus was given to deepening operations by the introduc- tion of the steam dredger ; and, whereas in 1821, the maximum draught of vessels navigating the river was 13| feet ; in 1830, it was 14 feet ; in 1870, 21 feet; in 1880, 22 feet; in 1890, 23 feet, and in 1900, 261 feet. The